Spicy and Tangy Tomato Rice

I cannot imagine my life without tomatoes. I use them almost every day in my cooking, besides eating them raw and using them in salads. My mom prepares yummy tomato rice which is spicy and tangy. She used to serve with generous amount of ghee and it used to be mouth-watering. Here’s the recipe for it:

IngredientsRice: ½ kg
Finely chopped onion: 2
Tomatoes: 2-3, pureed
Finely chopped tomatoes: 5-6
Finely chopped green chillies: 5-6

Grated ginger: 2 tsp
Finely chopped coriander leaves: 3-4 tsp
Salt: To taste
Cinnamon: 2 inches
Cloves: 5-6
Garam masala: 1 tsp
Red chilli powder: 1-2 tsp
Turmeric powder: ½ tsp

For Seasoning
Mustard seeds: 2-3 tsp
Cumin seeds: 2-3 tsp
Bengal gram: 2-3 tsp
Urad dal: 2-3 tsp
Dry red chillies: 3-4, broken into pieces
Curry leaves: 3-4 springs
Asafoetida: ¼ tsp
Cashew nuts: 4-5 tsp
Ghee: 3-4 tsp
Oil: 3-4 tsp

Method
Cook rice and spread it on a plate to cool. Once it is cooled, add 2-3 tablespoons of ghee and separate each grain with the help of a spoon and keep aside.

Heat ghee in a pan and fry cashew nuts till golden brown, drain them and keep aside. Heat oil in the same pan and add mustard seeds. When they splutter, add Bengal gram, urad dal, cumin seeds, cinnamon stick, cloves and broken red chillies. Sauté well till the lentils turn golden brown. Add asafetida and curry leaves and sauté for a few more seconds. Add chopped onion, green chillies and ginger and sauté till onion pieces turn translucent. Then add finely chopped tomatoes, turmeric powder, and red chilli powder and mix well. Cook the mixture till tomatoes release juice, on a medium flame. Add tomato puree, garam masala and salt to taste. Simmer for 5-6 minutes and add the mixture to the rice. Add finely chopped coriander leaves and fried cashews and mix well. Serve tomato rice with yogurt or any raita of your choice.

Note: Cashew nuts can be substituted with peanuts.

Aloo Shami Kebab

Ingredients
Potatoes: 4-5
Chana dal: 1 cup
Garlic: 12 cloves
Cumin: 1 tsp
Black pepper: 1 tsp
Dry red chili: 10-12
Black cardamom: 1
Green cardamom: 3-4
Clove: 3-4
Cinnamon: 1 inch piece
Coriander leaves: 2-3 tsp
Onion: 2 tsp, finely chopped
Green chili: 1tsp
Lemon juice: 1 tsp
Saffron: A few strands
Sweet kewra: A few drops
Salt: As per taste




Method
Peel, wash and boil potatoes with chana dal, garlic, cumin, black pepper, dry red chili, black cardamom, green cardamom, salt, clove and cinnamon, together until chana dal becomes soft but not placid. The water level over the ingredients should be only 1 inch above the ingredients. Grind the cooked ingredients without adding any water. Check salt at this stage. Then add chopped green chili, chopped onion, chopped coriander leaves, kewra, saffron and lemon juice to the paste. Make small balls and flatten between your hands like an aloo tikki. Heat oil in frying pan and shallow fry kebabs till golden brown and serve with pudina chutney.

Note: If the paste becomes too soft, you can add some roasted gram flour as a binding agent.